Women's college basketball preseason top 25: Ranking the title contenders

A women’s college basketball preseason Top 25 highlights title contenders with major storylines as the season approaches. USC is propelled by the return of JuJu Watkins, viewed as the presumed No. 1 pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft after a yearlong layoff, widening the National Player of the Year conversation. UConn leads the list’s top tier with Sarah Strong heading a roster after a 38-1 season that ended with a Final Four loss to South Carolina. South Carolina, last year’s champion, occupies No. 1 in the preseason ranking, despite losing four seniors, with returning players Joyce Edwards, Chloe Kitts and Tessa Johnson plus additions including freshmen Jerzy Robinson and Oliviyah Edwards and transfers Brooke Quarles Daniels and Jordan Lee. Other top entries include USC, Duke, Michigan and Texas, among others.